As far as I can remember, when I was a high school student in my too-large white lab-coat on my lab-bench, a “catalyseur” here written in French, is what is triggering or simply accelerating a reaction in order to alter it right after the only and sole catalyser’s contact. Here we are. “The only and single contact”. In here lies the power and the efficiency of the catalyst that is spreading a beneficial energy, generative enough to touch and to bring into its wake the people around. For someone who loves to shape the world with metaphors, this will definitely resonate in me and even more during my mission on my favourite playground : Howrah city !

To be a catalyst as a coach is all about choosing and decanting the information for yourself first and then taming it in order to use the right terms and the right sentence structure that will click in their minds. The bulbs are lighting all of a sudden above the heads and the Youth, after having digested the information, will suddenly understand, and here is the magic trick, that they can create an impact as well. They can become catalysts themselves and take a big action in their own environment. They are able to become a part of the chain, the same one they would have never thought they could continue before. They feel like they are actors, they feel considered and they take heed of the trust we assign them with, maybe for the first time. Again and in turn, thanks to their only touch and contact, their environment will therefore be transformed with the help of the generosity of their words that they share. However, the ideas are not necessarily repeated from a foolish mouth : they are also processed and here is the second beauty in the challenge ! Indeed, we are not witnessing a simple word-for-word communication but a smart and in-their- own-style message.

To be a catalyst as a Youth is also all about sending a snowball in your tracks (that is already a big one, to be honest) down to the hill of one LP4Y pillar that is to say : the partners. The Youth are actually the real “reporters in their life arena” and what can be more rewarding than seeing the trust we planted in you some time ago is now blooming to result in fields full of inspiring testimonies and innovative ideas ?
The entire ecosystem is thus trusting them. An ecosystem that is crossing the slum areas borders, and in which we can put in place even more sustainable and collaborative ideas for the Youth (and by the Youth!), by means of meetings and priceless sharing times.

For all this is required a huge amount of energy. The kind of energy that we learn to create, to angle and to concentrate over time, in order to generate this chain reaction, the snowball effect and to avoid losing the magic on the way while not falling into the trap of a bad “Chinese whispers” game. Every single pillar involved in the action should draw from the previous catalyst its energy needed to convey the message. The consequent burst can make you dizzy, true, but we should keep in mind the beauty of the results and the idea that all alone we go faster, but together, we go further !

To my mind and to finally conclude, being a LP4Y catalyst is being the link between powers and strengths. This is all about transforming and raising what we do to the power of Youth !